Category Archives: heavy equipment

Renting an excavator

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Since the construction and heavy equipment industry has risen over the years so has many other industries that are associated with them have developed in these many years. Out of the many industries, one is renting heavy equipment. It is now never a problem to let out your machines as you will always find takers for it. Gone are the days where a person had to struggle giving ads in newspapers to find someone who wants to take the equipment on rent. Now people are educated about how to move ahead with renting equipment. There are number of ways by which you can rent your machine. You can get in touch with a rental company whose main focus is to find parties who have need to give the machine and rent as well as take it on rent. So primarily, they try and bring both the parties at a common place and strike a deal between them. The other option is going online and listing your machine there.

The heavy equipment that people take more than anything is an excavator. It seems that an excavator is quite a flexible machine which can be used for multiple purposes unlike other heavy equipment. You only need to change its attachments and it gets ready for work other than excavating. Due to its flexibility, it is probably the only machine that is high in demand and often gives the owner a good rental value. You can try and know the rental value of your machine from rental companies or from websites where people list their excavators on rent. That is really not a tough job and can help you to know the correct value of the excavator.

Ensure that the excavator is in good shape:-

Before you rent your excavator, it is very important to you ensure that the heavy equipment is in good working condition. If you see any issues with it, get it fixed before you rent it to someone. It creates unnecessary hassles if you hand over the stuff with some faults in it and without informing the user about it. They might even feel cheated and many not want to do any further business with you. This all puts you in a negative light which may turn uglier if he spreads it out to other people. You may find it hard to rent the excavator to anybody else. Also, paint the machine and make it look new every time before you rent it to a new person.

An agreement is mandatory:-

You are required to make an agreement where you explicitly state that you are giving the excavator on rental basis and the person will return it with no or minor wear and tear. Also mention the amount you will receive as rent on a monthly basis as well as the tenure of the contract. Any other details that you feel is important should be mentioned in the agreement. You can appoint an attorney for this purpose who can take care of this part.

Do not keep old heavy equipment for long – Sell them off

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To expect a re-sale value on a used commodity is not wrong but if you expect to get a good price on an item that has nothing left in it, you may become highly disappointed. When it comes to heavy equipment you will also come across people who do not believe in buying new stuff. They see profit in buying old machines, renovating them and make them new. In this way they get heavy equipment at a cheaper price. But these guys do not buy machines that are extremely old and has absolutely no use. You can’t do any modification on them nor are they compatible for installing any modern features. It is just scrap and needs to be re-built all over again. This means that the seller if tries to sell such a stuff will get nothing but peanuts.

List it in an auction site:-

There are plenty of online websites that deals with auctioning heavy equipment and its parts. You can select one such site which is popular with people and list your heavy equipment out there. Please do mention the model number and the year the machine was made. Do mention about the recent changes that you have made in the machine. For instance, if you have painted the machine or have replaced any critical part of it that needs to be stated. The members of the site should know about the improvements that you have made on the machine. It will only help them to gain confidence on you and your product.

Sell it to a friend or amongst your peers:-

This is perhaps the safest way to sell your used heavy equipment. Your friend might have a need for the equipment and he has a lower budget. You can help him by selling your stuff at a lesser price. In this way, you do not have to hang around looking for buyers when you have one next to you. Let your friend inspect the machine and if he find it worthy, he will make an offer. However, if you offer him to buy quite an old model, he might not show any interest. For that matter, nobody will show any interest if you sell machines that are way back in time. They need machines that can support the modern technology and are also less expensive.

Sell it to heavy equipment workshop:-

If you do not get any buyer for your heavy equipment, you can sell it to a guy who runs heavy equipment workshop/company. They might be interested in buying it but they will not be ready to pay you the price that you expect. Ideally, these guys are the last option that people go for and they also know that. If you have to really do away with your machine and are not getting any takers then you have to take this as an option rather to sell it as scrap. These guys will anyways pay you more than a scrap dealer.

How does Auction Companies work for heavy equipment? What do they charge?

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When you do not need the services of your heavy equipment, you got to get rid of them. There is no point in keeping the machines with you and see them getting rusted during different seasons. Now there is a smarter way to get rid of heavy equipment and that is by selling them in auction. So while you put them up for auction, you generally give them the minimum price to start and it takes up from there. People will place their bids on the item and the guy with the highest bid will eventually become the new owner of the machine. It is no big deal to locate a company that is into selling heavy equipment through auction. In fact, you will come across many companies that see this business with huge potential and with larger margins for profit. So finding a company who can help you to do away with your old heavy equipment is no problem.

Get all machines at one place:-

Auction of heavy equipment is more like an exhibition. It is not just your machines that will be slated to get auctioned on a particular day but heavy equipment belonging to many other people will be put on sale on that day. So these companies if they are selling it offline then they advertise about the mega event where they rent a huge place to put up your construction equipment and invite people who belongs from the construction or mining industry. The invitation happens through ways of advertisement, cold calls and online registration. So once people gather at the venue, the auction begins and they bring each equipment at a time. The possibility of a construction equipment not getting sold exists but the larger possibility is that it may get sold off quickly out there than any other forum.

Online auction companies:-

There is also good number of auction companies who deals exclusively on the internet. They make members by asking them to register on their site and then use the site for buying and selling heavy equipment. So a person who is a buyer can also become a seller using the same User ID. He need not change any of his details to sell anything especially when his prior transactions were restricted to only purchases.

Different auction company charges differently:-

The seller has to pay good chunk of money to the auction company to sell his machines. Firstly, some auction companies charge money for registration. It may vary from few hundreds to thousands of dollars. It also covers the listing cost. For offline auction, they do charge for using their services to auction the machine. The amount may be minimal for putting the machine on auction but if it sells of, they may charge from 2% to 10% of the sales price. Sellers take advantage of both the platforms to sell their heavy equipment. Online auction companies charge not only for listing the item but also for enhancements like making the description part look more attractive or to just put a star on the listing which makes it a bit catchy. Any additional feature will cost the seller more and therefore one needs to first understand the costing before going for it.

Heavy Equipment refurbishing

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Construction equipment has to go through a lot of tussle while it is working on the jobsite and which is why we can see enormous amount of wear and tear on the face of the machine. This should probably remind us that it is time that we refurbish the heavy equipment or else be ready to sell it in scrap in the next few months or at the most may be a year. It is very important for a heavy equipment owner to keep checking periodically the health of the machine and this is why it is recommended to service the machine every month. Apart from washing the equipment which should be done every couple of days or at least once in a week the oiling and greasing part should be taken care of once in a month. Now if the heavy equipment has gone really old though you have taken good care of it all throughout the life of the machine, it is probably the time to refurbish it.

When we talk about refurbishing heavy equipment, it is not getting the machine painted and taking care of the dents that it has all around its body. It is more of replacing the old vital parts of the equipment with newer ones so that it gets a new life and can work with the same force and vitality. Other than that you can always upgrade the equipment with new technology provided it should be compatible and support the new features. Not many old machines can support the software and therefore it has to go through a lot of changes. Many owners find it convenient to change the machine rather than making so many changes in a machine. It is completely upon the owner of the heavy equipment but it always stays as a possibility.

Increase the longevity of the heavy equipment:-

By refurbishing the heavy equipment you are indeed increasing the longevity of the machine. However, this refurbishing should be more usual. You can’t expect the machine to perform like before just with one session of refurbishing. It should be followed by series of servicing without being skipped. Apparently the new heavy equipment is quite expensive and it will burn a hole in your pocket if you intend to buy one. On the contrary you can simple refurbish the machine whenever you see the need and get it back on track.

Helps you in the rental business:-

If you are a person who owns lot of heavy equipment and are in the business of letting them out, you should know that it becomes a must for you to refurbish the machine after every contract. The reason is that your machine goes through a lot of wear and tear when it is used by a person who is not its owner. They use the machine as per the business needs and not give a thought if the machine can actually take the extra load. Also before you intend to sell the heavy equipment, refurbishing of the heavy equipment is recommended as the new owner should get the best for the amount he pays you.

Heavy Equipment Operator Salary

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We study hard to become qualified to get a good job which can give us good salary. Every industry provides good package to qualified employees and therefore it makes sense to study hard in the beginning and then get into a job that takes care of the monetary part of your life. It is also important to get into the right industry. An industry that will survive for long and has a future for you. Being rewarding should not be the only criteria for a person to join a company or an industry. They also need to understand the future prospect of the sector and only if they see it to be a thriving one that they should get into it. Construction sector is an industry which is not only rewarding but also has the potential to carry on as long as humans are on this planet. This means that the people who are associated to this industry can assume a bright future with lot of perks.

The position of a heavy equipment operator is quite crucial in the sector. They are the ones who operate the big machines and set the roadmap for the laborers. They not only work on the machines but also make sure that the equipment are performing to the fullest without any hiccups and if they experience any hiccups then they need to get that reported to the concerned authorities who will set things right. The guys who play such an important role must not be getting an ordinary package. They are paid handsomely by the companies as they understand the nature of their work and also understand that they can only be replaced by another experienced and qualified operator and by no one else. So it is always better to have the same employee work for you rather than having new faces time and again.

Well the gross income of an inexperienced heavy equipment operator could be anywhere between $3,500 to $5,000 a month and for the ones who are experienced can expect more from the company. Young heavy equipment operators ideally stay in a company for few years which often acts as a training ground for them and once they are confident and know how to deal with different situations, they make a move. This jump to other companies gives them a higher package and as and when they become more experienced they see their package becoming better. Simultaneously, if they attend classroom training and get certifications they come into the bracket of high paid operators. This is what most of the operators who are on salary dream to reach. No wonder it is a difficult one and needs lot of hard work but definitely a possible one.

For operators who have plenty of experience under their belt, they become freelancers. You will find lot of operators who works as a freelancer with different companies. They are picked on the basis of the project the company has and are paid accordingly. A freelanced operator is mostly connected with a union which provides them with job. However, the money they make at the end of the project is gigantic.

Thinking of selling your heavy equipment? Give it a new look first!

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Do you own a heavy construction machine or equipment? Whether you run a construction business or if you are a renowned builder, having your very own heavy construction equipment is one of the wisest decisions that you will ever make. However, due to continuous usage, the heavy construction machinery, vehicles and equipment are sometimes likely to lose their functionality and performance. In fact, with every passing day, a more enhance tool or technology is being introduced to the world.

In such a scenario, it is a great idea if you want to sell your old equipment and buy new ones. Given the constantly growing construction industry, there is a constant demand of the heavy construction equipment, regardless of how old or new they are. As the price of the new equipment is often quite high, buying the second-hand or used ones is a trend that small scale construction business owners always choose. Hence, you will easily get a buyer for your equipment. In fact, there are construction equipment buyers and sellers, who buy old equipment from you at any time. You can sell the equipment to them as well.

What should you be careful about?

Before you sell your heavy construction equipment, it is a must that you take care of a few things.

  • The parts are properly fitted
  • It is a functional condition
  • It looks as new as possible.

The first two factors can be taken care of, as you refurbish your equipment. The repairing or servicing works will fix the damages and also increase the functionality of the equipment. Moreover, with damaged parts, the possibility of accidents is also quite high. Hence, you might lose potential customers. So, this is a key step that you must take.

Apart from these two factors, what is equally important is that your equipment has a clean and almost new look. Though the papers will clearly show the age of the equipment, having a clean and appealingly new look will help your equipment get more customers and that too faster. The customers are always drawn towards those equipment and machineries that look new.

How to give your heavy construction equipment a new look?

Now that you have understood how important it is for your heavy equipment to get an almost new look, it is a must that you take proper care of the equipment in terms of its appeal. For that you need to paint the equipment at first. As soon as you clean the equipment of all the dirt and dust, it becomes more suitable for a better sale.

The expert equipment cleaners also provide sandblasting feature that helps in painting the equipment even better. After sandblasting, the paint has to be done as per the specifications or requirements of the equipment. Once the paint is done, you can add the stickers for the manufacturing company names. This will give the equipment an absolutely brand new look or appeal. Certainly, this will increase the price of the equipment, regardless of how old it is.

Why to hire a power scraper

Heavy equipment is more in demand in both construction and mining industries. Among these equipment, scrapers are always required on the construction site. Power Scraper (PS) is a unique machine used for digging and long distance hauling of plough able materials and used for levelling of ground. It is finest machinery which can carry huge volumes of dirt at a time and move it from one place to another. One advantage over other earth moving machines is the capability to remove wet soil from the surface. It performs on heavier and other tough type of soils. It is a dominant tool in construction of highways. Many construction industries, start-ups and first time users prefer hiring heavy equipment including scrapers.

The following are the reasons why to hire a power scraper:

  • There is huge demand for scrapers, due to the increase in construction activities. Power scrapers (PS) are very expensive, which makes it difficult for construction companies to purchase a new scraper for doing multiple jobs at their work site. Further, due to economic downfall, most customers cannot afford to buy a brand new scraper and prefer hiring one for short period.
  • For short duration construction projects, buying a new scraper means waste of money since it the grader is used for a particular duration after which it is not used.
  • When PS at a construction site is not functional or damaged and it needs to be repaired.
  • Due to the increased workload on the construction site, more number of scrapers are required.
  • The user wants to try a new model which is technologically advanced. However, before purchasing a brand new one to be used for a long time and the option of buying on rent is helpful. This gives user an idea of application and if it is suitable for his work.
  • Most buyers prefer for used scrapers which are reliable, easy to operate, ready availability of spare parts and have high resale value.

 

While hiring of a used PS one needs to be careful and observant of the machine. One should inspect it very well, the machine should not be damaged, and should be less than 5 years to age. The buyer should refer to product specifications and hire a model according to its application at the work place. The user should also know the overall costs in terms of the repairs, fuel costs, and operator costs.

 

PS is a versatile and flexible machine. Thus hiring a power scraper is beneficial since is cost-effective for construction companies

 

 

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Don’t default heavy equipment payments

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Loans are always an additional burden that one has to deal with. Loan should be taken only when you are sure that you will be able to pay it off in time. However, the future is unknown to all of us and when things change it either change for good or for bad. We borrow money with the hope to pay it off and also make enough effort towards that direction. Business loans are riskier for banks and hence they grant loans after doing a lot scrutiny. They verify the nature of business, the reason why loan is required and many other relevant factors that play a crucial role to determine if the borrower can pay the loan in a timely manner. Only after the lender is absolutely sure the loan gets sanctioned. There are instances when even after meticulous scrutiny some of the borrower defaults the payment. This certainly hurts the bank but at the same time it also hurts the defaulter in a much grave way.

In the construction sector, you just can’t get away without paying the lender especially when you have borrowed the money to buy heavy equipment. You may be doing well in your business and have lot of projects under your belt. Being so busy you might forget to pay the lender for the heavy equipment. If you forget that, it is still fine but you can’t miss the non-payment letters that you get from the bank. If you fail to pay them even after receiving letters from them, the lender will repossess the heavy equipment and they have every legal right to do so. They will try to reach you before taking this action but if you are on a business visit or are so entangled with your work that you do not pay any heed to them then it will be a cause of worry for you. The lender will get in touch with a repo company who will without letting you know about anything will drop in to your construction site and will tow the machine.

It will be very difficult to get it back from them. Nevertheless you have to pay the dues in full along with the penalty you may still have to go through a lot of hassle before you finally get it back. However if you still fail to pay them then the heavy equipment will be auctioned and it will have a new owner. This is definitely what you will not want to go through as it paints you in a negative light. Moreover your credit rating will go for a toss and you have to probably wait for years to get a loan to buy heavy equipment.

Getting a loan at a lower interest rate becomes extremely difficult for people who have earlier defaulted on loans. So if at all you come across a situation where you have defaulted and have now learnt a lesson from your mistake, the hard time will not pass so easily. No major lenders will be willing to fund you and if at all they do they will at a higher interest rate. This in no way sounds to be beneficial. Therefore keep a track of your loan payment schedules and do not miss a single payment.

Unable to sell your heavy equipment – Try renting them

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It is quite difficult to sell an expensive item how old it may be. You may just not get any buyers and this could be really frustrating at times when you are in dire need of money. At the same time, you may want to get rid of an expensive stuff that you no longer need but you are also not ready to sell it at a dirt cheap price which is why you are not getting more buyers. The people who are interested to buy the item often show their displeasure after knowing the price of the item.

People belonging to the construction industry have often experienced this kind of situation when they are hunting for buyers to sell their heavy equipment. Either you have to sell it at a cheaper rate or you just won’t get more buyers. The reason is simple. People who would be interested to buy a second hand heavy equipment will normally be small time contractors or small construction companies who have just begun their journey in the construction sector. They will have many strong reasons will not want to buy a machine that is though quite useful to them in their business is nevertheless expensive and out of their budget.

If you are part of such a situation it will be prudent for you to give up the idea of selling the machine and think about renting it. In this way, you can earn money on the machine and then the day you feel that it has gone real old and you will not mind selling it as scrap, get hold of a scrap dealer and finish the work. Till then stick to the idea of giving it on rent and earning money without having to do much. Many big construction companies who have lot of heavy equipment under their possession normally lease their machines to small contractors who in turn work for them in their projects. In this way, the machine is used for his construction work and he also manages to make good money out of it.

If you are not a giant construction company and do not possess too many machines to follow the above idea, you can play it smart by renting it to other contractors. You will find many such people who are in hunt of guys willing to lease their machine. You have to just talk to people about it. Talk to your friends who are contractors that if they know anybody who is looking to take the machine you have on rent. Try to spread it across to as many people as you can and you will get responses. Try to give a reasonable quote that is acceptable to the other party and if all sounds good then you should go for the deal.

Before you rent your heavy equipment please try to refurbish it by painting the machine and making it look new. People expect a machine that works and you need to ensure that the parts in the machine are in good condition and it will work for the period that it will be on rent.

Tips to become best heavy equipment salesman

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The job of a salesman is considered to be very demanding and challenging. He often has to go through a lot of hassles during sales call and eventually in the meeting. A salesman requires lot of patience. He can’t expect things to work like he wants. Many a time he will find situations going against him. This can lead to frustration and therefore a person who does not have patience can’t find his place in the sales sector for a long time. You be into any industry, if you have to deal with sales then you got to be patient. You can try hard to sell a product but while you do that you can’t lose your patience. This is what many salesmen fail to do. While they try so hard to sell the item, they go so deep into it that they do not realize that they are getting pushy with the customer. This irks the customer and they end up saying a big NO.

Salesman selling heavy equipment have to be very cautious while they are dealing with their customer. They can’t afford to haste things with them. You got to be very smooth with them. There are few tips that a salesman should keep into consideration while they are on a sales meeting.

Upgrade your communication skill:-

For some reason every salesman believes that he is a good communicator. If he can speak well it certainly does not mean he is good in communication. Selling heavy equipment is not all about good communication skills but it is more about effective communication where you speak sense to the prospect and can covert him into your customer. Just by speaking well you can’t convince a person to change his brand. People in the US are brand-conscious and they will not want to change their brand as long as there is a good strong reason to do so. The job of the salesman is to display that reason to them. People who are associated with heavy equipment are more conscious with the brand they are using than perhaps anybody else would be. Heavy equipment salesman should be knowledgeable, confident and that should reflect in their way of presenting themselves to the prospect.

Be in the company of technicians and operators:-

You get to learn a lot when you are in the company of technicians and heavy equipment operators. They can teach you a lot about heavy equipment. Though they will not be much helpful to you as far as the selling technique is concerned but they can really develop your base understanding on heavy equipment. This will help you to answer some of the most challenging questions that come from customers. Ideally, heavy equipment salesmen are not so savvy with the technical aspect of the machine but it always creates a good impression when you are able to answer those technical questions. You can always learn the techniques from your peers. They can help you in that area.